Jesus is for everyone

One of the things I love about Christmas is that it demonstrates beyond doubt that Jesus is for everyone. It doesn't matter what your economic status is. It doesn't matter what your social status is. It doesn't matter what your religious status is. Jesus has a place for you.

Jesus calls out to both the rich and the poor. In Jesus' time, poverty was a way of life for most ordinary people. And shepherds were close to the economic bottom. Many shepherds were itinerant workers, going from place to place to find work with people. Yet it was to these poor, humble shepherds that God chose to announce the birth of his son. On the other end of the spectrum, God sent a star to guide the Wise Men to Jesus. These would have been important, wealthy royal officials from another country. They were wealthy enough to bring very expensive presents to the baby Jesus.

The shepherds and wise men also represent opposite ends of the social spectrum. Shepherds were often considered social outcasts. In fact, some cultures of that time hated shepherds and refused to live with them. In Israel, shepherds were often considered social outcasts because, at least at certain times of the year, kept them in the fields 24/7. This meant that they were unable to keep the sabbath. This made them outcasts among their own people. Again, the Wise Men were the opposite. They were important leaders who helped run their countries. If shepherds were near or at the bottom of the social scale, then the Wise Men were near or at the top.

While the shepherds and Wise Men were on the opposite ends of the social and religious spectrum, they were in a similar place on the religious spectrum. The shepherds would have been seen as poor followers of God because they were not sabbath keepers, and the Wise Men were pagans. To the Jews, both groups would have been at the bottom of the religious scale. On the other end of this spectrum are Simeon and Anna, who were godly, devout people. They celebrated with birth of Jesus when he was brought to the temple when he was 8 days old.

Christmas tells us that no matter where you come from economically, socially, or religiously you have reason to celebrate Jesus. No matter where you come from economically, socially, or religiously Jesus wants you to experience him. He wants to be a part of your life and he wants you to be a part of his. Christmas tells us that Jesus is for everybody. I love that.